Wireless networks for voice/data communications using frequency hopping spread spectrum have been proposed (as described, for examples, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,534 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,668). However, these proposed networks all require the use of at least one master station. They are not peer--peer networks.
A peer--peer wireless system using frequency hopping spread spectrum has been documented in the literature (see Anthony Ephremides, "A Design Concept for Reliable Mobile Radio Networks with Frequency Hopping Signalling", Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 75, no. 1, pp. 56-73, January 1987). The system requires each node to constantly update the information of its neighbours and its neighbours' neighbours. Each user is also assigned its own transmitter-based code for point-to-point and broadcast traffic. Since such a system is designed for the U.S. Navy, the system must be able to resist a variety of jamming threats. Hence, a peer--peer wireless system with frequency hopping is used.
Another peer--peer wireless system--Wireless Adaptive Mobile Information System (WAMIS) using spread spectrum technique was proposed in the literature (see Chun-hung Richard Lin, Mario Gerla, "A Distributed Control Scheme in Multi-hop Packet Radio Networks for Voice/Data Traffic Support", Proceedings of ICC '95, vol. 2, pp. 1238-1242, June 1995). Such a system is designed for emergency disaster relief and for the military use. System initialization is required with each node knowing its one-hop neighbours. Each user-pair is pre-assigned a spreading code for communication.
Both of the proposed peer--peer wireless systems require network initialization to establish the links among the nodes. The proposed peer--peer wireless system does not require any network initialization. Also, since the proposed peer--peer wireless system is designed for commercial use, jamming threat is not a concern. The peer--peer wireless system can then use a dedicated signalling channel or channels for transmitter-receiver synchronization and for broadcasting information of the channels usage. Frequency hopping spread spectrum is used to reduce multipath interference. The signalling channel is used to assign frequency hopping patterns to active user-pairs to avoid co-channel interference. This enables the assigned frequency band to be fully utilized. If the hopping patterns are chosen carefully, adjacent channel interference can be minimized.